tenerife |
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images: getty; alamy |
Above: Short-finned pilot whale;
boats along Costa Adeje
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climate, safe shores, beautiful beaches and fabulous cuisine. While you might still spot a fishing boat or two, these days most of the ports are for pleasure craft. I’ ve been told by several locals that one of the best ways to see the island in all its glory is to take to the water, which is why I’ ve come to the marina at Puerto Colón on the Costa Adeje. I’ m hopping aboard a handsome sailing boat with local company Blue Jack Sail.
We gingerly edge out of the marina before the skipper lets the sails fly and powers through the inky ocean. We’ re heading along the coast in the strait between Tenerife and neighboring island La Gomera. This stretch of water was declared a Whale Heritage Site in 2021 by the World Cetacean Alliance due to the quantity of whales, as well as dolphins and turtles. The wooden slats of the bow are warm as I lay back staring at the rainbow of rock colors that peppers the coast between resorts. My gaze is broken by the breach of a pilot whale to my right-hand side, not more than 20 feet away. It turns out to be a pod
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of four whales gracefully surfacing and diving, almost as if they’ re chaperoning our boat. They’ re likely the resident pilot whales that live in this part of the ocean, and they disappear as quickly as they appeared. My heart is still racing as we head into a secluded cove to anchor and enjoy a dip in the salty sea.
The captain tells me that Blue Jack Sail is one of a handful of companies with the Barco Azul stamp that assures sustainability for whale-watching and the protection of marine biodiversity.
Just as the sun starts setting, it’ s time for us to head back to the port. Slowly, as the final peachy glow is cast, the drumbeat of the waves against the hull and the spritz of the water falling back to the sea from the rocks fades into the life and sounds of the marina. As I wobble along the portside, my sea legs start getting used to terra firma again. And that’ s when I think: Tenerife is much more than just somewhere you visit on vacation— it’ s a force of nature.
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winter 2025 • 43 |